Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
Over at The American Interest, Ricochet Member Tristan Abbey has a fascinating interview up with Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO under George W. Bush. As Europeans and American leftists such as Bill Maher heap scorn upon the concept of American exceptionalism, Volker's exposition of those things that make America truly exceptional is a welcome contrast.
“The U.S. was founded on a set of ideas, not on geography and not on ethnicity, but a set of ideas about the way people organize themselves and form governments”, he said, channeling his inner professor. The European states are organized in a similar political structure today, but it was not always so. “They’re based on geography and ethnicity, language, blood and soil. They have a hard time thinking otherwise, whereas I think we genuinely see ourselves as different in terms of what we are as a country.”
“Now, that doesn’t mean that we don’t make mistakes or get overextended”, he cautioned, “and I think you could argue that especially in the last couple decades we’ve just taken on more than we really can afford or sustain.”
Volker concluded: “Part of our self-identification—despite the arguments over immigration law reform—is that we are a nation of immigrants. Everyone is attracted to the idea of equal opportunity, which is really embedded in the country here. That makes us fundamentally different from all these European countries.”
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Comments:
Jan '11
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
Thanks, Diane. Volker was a bit more stridently exceptionalist than one might expect from a diplomat. I'd like to hear from the immigrants here on Ricochet -- does "equal opportunity" still resonate as distinctly American? Given the current situation, do you ever regret the decision to move here?
Mar '11
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
Diane Ellis, Ed.:
With all due respect to Mr. Volker this is a most extreme categorical error. The United States was founded on the principal of individual freedom, the European Union was created in hopes of building centralized, technocratic management; the only way these principles could be farther from each other is if the leadership of Brussels openly admired the logic of North Korea.
Jan '11
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
The political structure is, at least, similar -- no?
Mar '11
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
No indeed. No, not similar in any way. Put aside for a moment the differences in origin, a trade pact formed for the purchase of coal and steel vs. war fought for liberty, as absurd as such sounds for a moment put it aside. Let us contrast an EU "constitution" of some 300-400 pages depending on how generous one is vs. a document in the America's comprising 12 pages. One that begins with "His Majesty King of the Belgians..." as opposed to "We the people...".
In one States' rights are paramount, even if much diluted in this day and age, in the other they are barely acknowledged in passing. One is a manuscript for freedom the other for slavery. We have fallen far but no, I do not accept your words Mr. Abbey that these are similar.
Edited on June 21, 2012 at 5:21amApr '12
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
I am heartened to see Americans better define who and what we are. We've had decades of anti-American propaganda that has seduced the young and given extraordinary voice to the malcontents.
The fact that we've been the primary destination for global immigrants over the decades should be a clue, but our enemies have that found our free society makes for easy access to vulnerable and vindictive minds.
The US is far from perfect, we're just the best thing to come along in the real world since ... forever.
Mar '12
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
Great post, Diane. American exceptionalism being defended by diplomat is newsworthy indeed.
Mar '12
Re: Kurt Volker on American Exceptionalism
"Part of our self-identification—despite the arguments over immigration law reform—is that we are a nation of immigrants." I take issue with the "despite." That we are a nation of immigrants doesn't stop all debate on the issue. Furthermore, Americans have very distinctive debates about immigration. We usually argue about how to deal with illegal immigration. In five years in London, I found that when non-Americans argued about immigration, they usually argued about legal immigration, about closing borders, stopping flow.